The Fourth Plinth

The Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square is one of the highest profile pieces of public artwork in the UK.

The current resident is "Antelope" by Samson Kambalu, unveiled on 28 September 2022. The two figures of Baptist preacher John Chilembwe and European missionary John Chorley recreate a scene from a 1914 photograph.

The sculpture elevates a lesser-known story of the British Empire in Africa. The photo was taken at the opening of Chilembwe's church in present-day Malawi. The preacher wears his hat in defiance of the colonial rule that forbade Africans from having hats on in front of white people. A year later, Chilembwe led an uprising against colonial rule, considered a watershed moment in the country's history. Colonial police killed him and destroyed his church.

The previous resident on the Fourth Plinth was "THE END" by Heather Phillipson.